A web application for urban security enhancement

Meeting urban security needs adequately is a prerequisite for sustainable economic and societal development. Within the EU FP7 project BESECURE, we investigate how urban security can be enhanced. This is conducted by providing best practices investigated in eight case study cities, methods documented in literature, making use of available data and supporting evidence-based decisions. The results are made accessible via a web-based application platform: Issues and Decisions: Analysis and Support (IDAS). IDAS supports users to address urban security issues in a systematic way and to select appropriate measures. As a motivation for the approach, we outline the advantages of applying risk management in the domain of urban security. Next, we show how IDAS guides stakeholders through a risk management process in operational settings. As structure for the security enhancement process, we chose a risk management scheme inspired by ISO 31000 in five steps. We show how endusers, stakeholders and decision makers can apply IDAS to obtain an overview of security objectives taking account of the context, and how to identify related risks of not achieving the objectives. Within the analytical framework, the risks are assessed and evaluated. For risk control, the selection of measures for improving issues and their critical evaluation is strongly supported, including the iterative consideration of secondary risks. For demonstration of the web application, we showcase the scenario of how to improve conditions of troubled families and young persons that are not in education, employment or training (NEETs) in a deprived urban area in London.